Sam Simon and Thunder retrieving netOn April 8th 2017, the M/Y Sam Simon pulled up its 100th illegal gill net from the Gulf of California, which was promptly followed by illegal gill net number 101 and number 102.

That same day, the M/V Farley Mowat pulled up 2 nets, which brought the total of illegal fishing devices retrieved from the Upper Gulf of California since last December to 200.

It is both a great result achieved by the two Sea Shepherd vessels and their crews, but at the same time, very disturbing, as this proves that there are still many nets laying under the surface. These nets kill wild animals, amongst them the endangered totoaba and the near-extinct vaquita, who suffocate when they get entangled in them.

Below is a video that the illustrated the amount of death and destruction encountered by Sea Shepherd in just one day.

Sea Shepherd is determined to protect the vaquita, the totoaba and all the other marine animals that deserve to live in a sea free of nets. Our drone program has been instrumental in helping us catch poachers in the act of either placing the illegal nets or hauling them in with catch. Sea Shepherd reports them to the Mexican authorities then make appropriate arrests. Should the poachers abandon these nets when they are caught in the act by the drones, Sea Shepherd removes them so the nets do not continue to inflict more death and destruction.

To see how our drones work to help Sea Shepherd nab poachers and their illegal gill nets in the Gulf of California, please watch this video that took place during a 24 hour period and also involved the use of our night vision drones.